Movember Raises Record With Help From Stallone, Gervais, Craig

Formula One driver Jenson Button helped widen the campaign’s appeal by growing a moustache in November to raise awareness and money for male cancer charities. Photographer: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Movember, a global campaign that had
men growing moustaches in November to raise awareness and money
for male cancer charities, said it had a record fund-raising
year with the U.K. showing the most participants.

“It’s word of mouth that’s made it so popular, but also
famous names definitely help,” said Ric Boullemier, Movember
spokesman. “Guys are notoriously bad at talking about their
health so doing something daft and getting people talking makes
us all more aware and hopefully saves some lives as well.”

The campaign raised $98.1 million for different prostate
and testicular cancer charities, 29 percent more than in 2010,
according to the Movember website. About 851,000 people took
part, more than double the number in 2010. Britain had the most
registrations with more than 252,000 men growing a moustache,
raising $23 million, according to the website. Canada had the
second most number of registrations at 246,000.

Gervais, who sported a handlebar moustache, tweeted his
fans, “Morning Twerps Half way through shaving I paused for
Movember. First and last time you will see me like this.” Pop
singer Ronan Keating kept his fans updated on his
“Novembeard.” Fry tweeted that he may keep his moustache for a
“while longer.”

About $166 million has been raised for worldwide cancer
charities since Movember began in Melbourne in 2003. The total
excludes the amount raised this year.